After a fall, some lessons

Former mega-church leader Ted Haggard talks about God's forgiveness

lauren stanforth Staff write, Times Union

by lauren stanforth Staff writer

Published 1:00 am, Monday, November 23, 2009

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle, 2nd from left, talk with Pastor Lon Dean, right, at House of Praise in Castleton, NY on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. The church brought the Haggards to speak about their struggles in life. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle,...

Members and quests worship at House of Praise in Castleton, NY on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. As part of their service the church brought former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard and his wife Gayle to speak about their struggles in life. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Members and quests worship at House of Praise in Castleton, NY on...

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle, 2nd from left, talk with Pastor Lon Dean, right, at House of Praise in Castleton, NY on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. The church brought the Haggards to speak about their struggles in life. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle,...

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle, 2nd from left, talk with Pastor Lon Dean, not pictured, at House of Praise in Castleton, NY on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. The church brought the Haggards to speak about their struggles in life. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle,...

Members of House of Praise in Castleton, NY listen as former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, seen on video screen, and his wife Gayle talk with Pastor Lon Dean on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. The church brought the Haggards to speak about their struggles in life. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Members of House of Praise in Castleton, NY listen as former...

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, left, and his wife Gayle, 2nd from left, talk with Pastor Lon Dean, right, at House of Praise in Castleton, NY on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. The church brought the Haggards to speak about their struggles in life. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

SCHODACK — Disgraced former national evangelical leader Ted Haggard brought his message of forgiveness to the House of Praise church on Route 9 Sunday, peppering an hourlong talk in front of a congregation of 200 people with some ear-raising nuggets — like how God has specifically used people like Oprah Winfrey to assist in his resurrection from personal despair and public shame.

Haggard, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals and leader of a mega-church in Colorado, was forced to abandon both posts in 2006 after a male prostitute publicly said Haggard paid him for sex for three years and used methamphetamine in his presence.

House of Praise pastor Lon Dean said he invited Haggard to his Rensselaer County congregation because he personally felt sinful for judging Haggard at the time of the scandal and because Haggard's message of forgiveness is a powerful one.

Dean said he wrote Haggard an e-mail about eight months ago inviting him to speak and received a call for the former pastor 15 minutes later.

"I never thought in a million years he would come," Dean said.

The Haggards refused payment, save for hotel and flight expenses, but asked the church to collect money for them at the end of the talk, Dean said. An HBO documentary released in January showed Haggard, who once made a six-figure yearly salary, now scraping by to support his wife, Gayle, and their five children.

Haggard's message Sunday was a simple one: God made no one perfect and has the power to forgive anything. The House of Praise, which often puts on stage-like productions for its Sunday services, showcased Haggard and his wife in a talk show-like setting with Dean as the interviewer, complete with couches, coffee table and a box of tissues.

Haggard never discussed the specifics of the controversy, instead referring to his transgressions as "compulsions," and that with therapy he hasn't repeated the acts that brought him down. He did say that he never travels alone, posts on Twitter about his whereabouts and constantly calls his wife when they're not together.

Ten months ago, Haggard went on a media blitz to promote the HBO documentary about himself; he was previously relegated to silence as part of a settlement with his church. Part of that tour included an interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Larry King Live."

The couple was whisked away immediately after the talk ended and did no interviews — church officials said the Haggards have an agreement with a publishing company to keep quiet until a book Gayle Haggard wrote entitled "Why I Stayed," comes out in January.

Lauren Stanforth can be reached at 454-5697 or by e-mail at lstanforth@timesunion.com.